


Life After Death

by monogramsalarm



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 13:57:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19086448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monogramsalarm/pseuds/monogramsalarm
Summary: After dying, Julia thought that was going to be it. Just floating in the seas of the astral plane, waiting for something to change. But then Death came a-knocking, and a friendship was born.





	Life After Death

**Author's Note:**

> So, I already posted this fic on Tumblr a few months back but I wanted to post it here! If you ~wannaaaaa~ check it out, I'm cha-boy-taako on tumblr!

This was the most solid Julia had felt in a long time. Granted, she’d just been a spirit floating in the vast ocean of the astral plane up until that point. Until she had felt the firm grip of someone pulling her from the crashing waves. Their hands were cold, though everything felt cold around her once she was pulled onto a small island. She blinked a few times as her vision adjusted, revealing a somewhat bleak landscape and the man who stood in front of her. He looked nervous, looking her up and down as if to make sure it was really her.

“Uh, thanks for getting me out of there.” She looked around, cracking a small smile. “It’s so much nicer out here, I love the look of death.” He laughed in response, nodding as if reassuring himself that he had the right person.

“Julia Burnsides, right?” He held out his hand. She shook it firmly, nodding.

“Yep, I’m Julia.” A small laugh escaped her lips as it registered who this person was. “Hey, didn’t you help me over to this side after what happened in Raven’s Roost? How have you been, Kravitz?” She patted his arm like she was greeting an old friend. Kravitz grinned, rubbing his neck.

“I mean, okay? I’m just doing the same old thing, helping souls cross over, taking care of people who are breaking the laws of life and death.” He suddenly stopped, pulling a small scrawled note from his pocket. “I, um… I have a message for you. I don’t know why I still remember, it’s been a good couple of weeks.” He cleared his throat. “I met Magnus. He told me to tell you that he loves you.” Julia immediately grinned upon hearing that, slightly tearing up.

“Fuckin’ dork. He meets death and sends him off with a message for me.” Julia wrapped her arms around herself. “I miss that man.” Kravitz bit his lip, wanting to comfort her but not knowing how.

“He’s really brave, you know.” Kravitz looked at her. “He was staring death in the face and all he wanted was to know the people he cared about were safe. He bet his life to save the rest of them.” He realized the way he phrased it wasn’t completely true, but she’d get the gist of it. She nodded, thinking about how he was during the rebellion in Raven’s Roost.

“Yeah, he’s a great guy. He’s out there doing something good, I just know it.” Julia paused for a second. “Why did you bring me out? Was it just to chat?” Kravitz chuckled, nodding.

“Pretty much. I had Magnus’ message for you, but I figured I might as well stay for a while. I don’t really want to just toss you back in there like some kind of fish, you deserve better.” He shrugged as she laughed lightly. “Tell me about yourself! What’s Magnus actually like, because he can’t be too different from the man I just met who ate an entire rock.” He conjured up a small bench for them to sit comfortably on. She began to launch into the details of their days in Raven’s Roost, pausing only to ask Kravitz about his own life. The two of them talked for hours until Kravitz was called away to work.

“I should… Get you back before I leave.” He sighed, picking up some of the raven feathers that had materialized in front of them, signaling that the Raven Queen needed to see him.

“I’ll see you again, right Kravitz?” Julia asked hopefully. The astral plane wasn’t the worst place to be, she just enjoyed finally existing and having company for the first time in years.

“Of course. We’re friends now!” Kravitz grinned at her. “I’ll be back as soon as I’m able to.” He waved his hand in her direction and she was gone. It was as if Julia blinked, and she was just back in that ocean.

After that, Julia and Kravitz spent a lot of time together. Kravitz didn’t get out much aside from work, and Julia had been dead for a good half a decade. They were both the right amount of socially deprived to get along. Julia never seemed to run out of stories about Magnus or their dogs, or Raven’s Roost, and Kravitz always talked about his different bounties or the guy he’d started seeing, who coincidentally started out as one of his bounties. Although Julia loved their conversations, there was always a question that burned in the back of her mind. She was finally ready to ask him about it.

“Hey, uh… Are you gonna put me back in there for good eventually? I know it’s a dumb question but it’s been nice to actually exist more than normal, even if it’s only for a little bit each time.” She wrapped her arms around herself, and Kravitz couldn’t help but notice that she looked almost afraid to go back for good. He immediately got an idea and smiled, reaching for her hand.

“How would you like to make a deal?” Kravitz asked, seeing her face contort at the idea of making a deal with death. “It’s not something dangerous, but I’d have to take a few months to get it ready for you.”

“What is it?” Julia raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Okay, get this… Technically, your soul isn’t supposed to leave that ocean unless you’ve been thrown in the eternal stockade. So, what if we worked around it?” He began to get excited about his own plan.

“I’m not following, Krav.” She crossed her arms. “Am I supposed to just hover above the ocean instead of staying in there?”

“Somewhat.” He chuckled, holding up his hands. “Picture this. Instead of throwing you right back in, I set up an island. Nothing too fancy, just room for you, Magnus, maybe a dog or two. I could set up a house, give you the tools to expand it if you’d like, and you could wait there until Magnus comes over to this side.” She immediately nodded excitedly, beaming at Kravitz.

“That’s everything I could have dreamed of! I-I get to live with Magnus again some day!” She giggled. “Oh my god, thank you.”

“It’s not set in stone yet, but I know it’ll be fine. The Raven Queen won’t mind, as long as you’re not actually leaving the Astral Plane.” Kravitz held out his hand. “That sound like a deal you’d like to make?”

“Don’t even joke with me, you’ve just given me all I’ve ever wanted.” Julia smiled tearfully, shaking his hand to solidify the deal. “When will it be ready?”

“Give me a few months to make sure it will actually work, and we’ll be in business!” Kravitz couldn’t help but grin as he saw just how happy it made her. He didn’t have many friends anymore, so it wasn’t like he had the joy of giving someone a gift that often. But in this instance, he felt like he truly had a friend that he wanted to give the world to, and he’d sure as hell try.

———

Julia felt that familiar sensation again. The feeling of becoming whole once more, the one that she knew was followed by the feeling of a cold hand in her own. She opened her eyes, instinctively smiling at the reaper in front of her.

“Hey, Krav.” Julia pulled her hair back over one shoulder. “Is it done?” She bounced a little, starting to feel excited. She asked it every single time he’d stopped by since they made their deal, and he finally nodded, not laughing and making an excuse about how it wasn’t done like he usually did.

“It’s finished, wanna go take a look?” He held out a hand. Julia nodded, grabbing his hand as they ran to a boat waiting on the shore of the sea where they waited. “Get in the boat, then close your eyes. I want you to be surprised.” He grinned. Julia rolled her eyes as she climbed inside, crossing her arms. She squeezed her eyes shut and felt a slight breeze as the boat drifted out across the waters.

“Just to be clear, you’re not drowning me at sea, right Kravitz?” Julia turned toward the sound of his laughter. “Because you can’t do much to someone who’s already dead.” She pointed out.

“Yep, this has all been a ruse to double kill you, you got me.” Kravitz snorted, taking her hands and helping her up. “Okay, now… Open them!” He turned her toward the surprise and backed up a step. Julia’s eyes fluttered open and she gasped, her mouth quirking up into a smile. It didn’t seem like much, but to her it was everything. A tiny, temporary home sat on one side of the island and in front of her, there were stacks of lumber and a workbench filled with every tool she could ever use. “I should explain…” Kravitz spoke up. “Magnus is a fairly young man. At the latest, you’ve got… I don’t know, 60 or 70 years before he gets here? I didn’t want to just make you a house. I know how much you love woodworking, and I figured you’d want to be responsible for the home that you and Magnus live in—“ he suddenly stopped as she hugged him tightly, lifting him off the ground.

“It’s perfect, Krav. I love it.” Julia smiled, her face feeling as if it were going to break from how big her grin was.

“Oh, and the supplies are never going to run out or wear down.” He walked over to the workbench. “They’re going to be in pristine condition no matter what you do to them. So, you can take your time with this or do it quickly, it’s all up to you. And when you think you’re good to go without it, I can take the small temporary home out of there. No use having that tiny house there when you can live in the home you’ve built.” Julia nodded enthusiastically as she picked up a hammer, judging the balance on it. “I have a bounty to collect today, but I figured I’d set you up here before leaving. Have fun, okay? I’ll see you in a while, Julia!” Kravitz opened a rift and turned to his skeletal reaper form before stepping through.

Julia turned towards the empty lot, then pulled out a sheet of parchment from a drawer in the workbench to start planning the house. It was going to have to be perfect. What better surprise to greet Magnus with than a home she built with her own two hands?

——

It had been a few decades, and Julia wasn’t sure how much longer she’d have to wait. She was happy with the dogs and all the people who stopped by. Meeting Lup and Barry had been fun, new reapers who promised to stop by almost as often as Kravitz did. She enjoyed the company. Lup was very helpful and would lend a hand in some of the heavy lifting, and Barry was always there to check on the blueprints to make sure the house would be able to stand on its own. Even Kravitz’ husband and Lup’s twin brother Taako stopped by, despite still being alive, ready to launch into an entertaining story that she could never tell was real or not. But there was someone she was waiting for, and if he didn’t show up soon she was going to go crazy.

Julia grabbed her ladder and clipped on her tool belt. The shutters needed updating, and it wasn’t going to take too long. She wanted everything to be perfect for when Magnus arrived. Out the window, she could see a form in the shadows and smiled, figuring it was Kravitz. He always stopped by around the same time, but he didn’t usually come every single day. She could use the company, so it wasn’t unwelcome. Turning the doorknob, Julia let the dogs out the front door, picking up the ladder and heading out herself. She set it down right outside the front door, then finally saw who was waiting there. A small gasp escaped her lips as the tears welled up in her eyes.

“Hey, buddy!” she heard Magnus call out to Johann as he leaned down to scratch behind the Scottish deerhound’s ears. Julia couldn’t stop the smile that took over, fighting every instinct she had to not run into his arms. He made it, after all that time. Magnus lifted his head, then just stared in her direction, a smile spreading across his face. Julia couldn’t wait any longer and ran over to him, wrapping him up in her arms with no intention of letting go. She admired every bit of him, wiping a tear away that streamed down his face as she held his cheek in her hand.

“You lived… So much longer than I thought you would.” She teased, biting down on her lip. He was as perfect as she remembered, and she didn’t have to let him go again. He leaned against her touch, looking at her with such love and adoration that it was overwhelming.

“I know…” He said softly. “I’m sorry I made you wait.” Julia wrapped her arms around her husband once more, kissing his cheek gently. Magnus leaned down towards her. “I tried to make you proud.” He murmured, his voice trembling. She laughed, trying to lighten the moment.

“I couldn’t see what you were doing, but Kravitz told me a lot… You made me so proud, Magnus.” She squeezed his hands before gesturing to the house. “What do you think?”

“You made this?” Magnus took a step toward the cottage, grinning through the tears.

“Yeah, no, the dogs made it.” Julia snorted in response, wrapping an arm around his waist.

“It’s amazing. I love the joints, really well made.” He smiled back at her, kissing her on the head.

“You know… I’ve been thinking about this moment for the longest time, and out of everything? I really only hoped you’d compliment the joints.” She paused for a moment, taking his hand once more. “I actually  _have_ thought about this for a while… Let’s savor the moment, we have nothing but time. Tell me absolutely everything.” She led him inside as he begun to tell the story she’d heard a few different ways already. But his version was going to be her favorite, she already knew that.

———

It had been a few weeks since Magnus came home, and Julia figured Kravitz wouldn’t really stop by for a bit. After all, he was busy with work, he never wanted to intrude, and he now had his own family to spend time with. What she didn’t expect was Kravitz stopping by with gifts. Magnus opened the door, waving as he grinned to the reaper standing in the doorway.

“Hey, it’s great to see you!” He caught one of the gifts as it nearly tipped over after one of the dogs jumped up on him. “Sorry about that! They really like you though, so at least you know they’re being friendly and not attacking.” Kravitz chuckled, setting the other gift down.

“I just wanted to see how you’re adjusting. And Taako insisted I bring housewarming presents for you.” Kravitz cracked a smile. Julia came down the stairs, waving to him.

“Haven’t seen you in a while! Did you bring Taako with?” She looked around, adjusting the bandana in her hair.

“No, he um… He wasn’t ready to see Magnus here yet.” Kravitz sighed. “But he sends best wishes and hopes the two of you are doing well.” Magnus pulled him into a tight hug.

“He’ll come when he’s ready, that’s just how he deals with things.” Magnus rubbed Kravitz’ back. “It’s great to see you though, are you sticking around?”

“No, I’m heading out of town for a week.” Kravitz chuckled in response. “I figured I should drop off the gifts before we left. It’s going to be Taako and my 50th wedding anniversary, so we’re taking a trip.”

“Oh my god, that sounds so fun! Be sure to come tell us all about it.” Julia clapped her hands together.

“Will do. I’ll make sure to remember every single detail just to tell you.” He teased. “I’ll see you two in a few weeks!” Kravitz opened a rift outside, waving back to them before stepping through. Julia wrapped her arms around Magnus from behind, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Any plans for today?” Magnus turned, kissing her cheek. “Because I thought we could work on redoing the kitchen tiles next.”

“Sounds like a great plan, hon.” He noticed her thoughtful expression and stroked her cheek gently.

“Everything okay, Jules?”

“Hmm? Oh yeah, everything’s perfect.” Julia grinned. “Sometimes I forget this isn’t a dream, that you’re really here with me again.” She held him close to her. Magnus sighed deeply, nodding.

“I understand what you mean. I went so long without you that I didn’t even think this day would come.” He looked her up and down. “Julia, um.. There’s one thing I never mentioned to you… I think now is the right time to tell you about what happened with one of the relics.” Magnus sat down on the couch, gesturing for her to do the same. She sat beside him, taking his hands in her own. Julia hadn’t seen him this worried before. Whatever happened with this relic must have been tormenting him for years. He took a deep breath before speaking softly.

“In the town of Refuge, when we were still collecting the relics, the chalice I had created did… So much more than what we’d faced before. The others just kind of taunted us, but this one got too close.” He shifted uncomfortably. “It went through my life and showed me everything I’d ever done, save for the century that we’d lost. The chalice showed me the day I left for that festival, the last day I saw you.” Magnus swallowed hard, staring down at his lap. “It told me that I could go back and change that. T-that if I just claimed it, I could fix everything and save you.” He looked up at her. “I wanted to take it so badly, Jules. I knew it’s not what you’d have wanted, but I’ve always wondered if I’d made a mistake. We could have had a real life together, we could’ve been parents like we wanted… I still don’t know if I made the right decision.”

“Mags…” Julia kissed the back of his hand gently. “Of course you made the right decision. We may not have gotten that life together, but we’re both here now. What if you’d only gotten a few more years with me and lost me all the same? I may not have met Kravitz, we wouldn’t have gotten this chance to spend more than enough time together.” She noticed his eyes tearing up and wiped it away with her thumb. “You made the right choice, and now we get to be here.” He nodded, wiping his eyes.

“You’re right, Julia.” Magnus held her close. “Thanks…”

“Of course, Magnus.” She stood up, helping him to his feet. “Now c’mon, how about we get to those kitchen tiles like you wanted?” She knew changing the subject and distracting his mind was the best way for him to deal with things once he’d talked them through.

“Sounds perfect.” He leaned down and kissed her before hugging her tightly, swinging her around in a circle. Julia may not have gotten to live a long life with Magnus in Faerun, but she had something way better: an eternity with the one person she’d always want to be around.


End file.
